Fight Boredom with Virtual World Games for Preschoolers

For parents of preschoolers, finding fun and beneficial ways to keep the little ones occupied is a major concern. Whether your child has started school or not, there are bound to be days when acute boredom attacks and you simply do not have the time or energy to deal with it. The biggest challenge with kids this age is that no toy, activity or game is fully dependable. What fascinated and entertained your child for hours one day may be discarded a lot sooner the next day, and rejected altogether in a week. So where can you find an endless reserve of games and activities to keep your preschooler happily occupied? The internet, of course! Free games for preschoolers are available in plenty online, and virtual world games for preschoolers are the next big thing.

All About Virtual World Games for Preschoolers

In the past, virtual worlds were only associated with adults. Today, there are hundreds of virtual world games catering to a younger population and many of them target preschool kids as well. Unlike free online games for kids, virtual world games are all about being a member of an online community. Players in this world have their own customizable avatar which lives in the online neighborhood. There are a wide variety of games and activities that the player can engage in in the virtual world. Playing these activities earns them in-game currency and rewards which can be used to buy more items for their avatar. It is common to have a customizable house in the neighborhood and many virtual world games even allow their players to own pets. For older kids, interacting with other players and engaging in social events in the virtual world is a major component of gameplay. However, since preschoolers do not have the necessary literacy skills to be able to hold a conversation online, virtual world games for preschoolers are more about the individual experience in the online world.

Why Virtual World Games are Good for Preschoolers

In a world where computer literacy is a must, playing virtual world games for preschoolers is a great way to introduce young kids to the computer and internet use. From learning how to hold and use a mouse to understanding how to navigate in an online environment, preschoolers pick up these skills very quickly when playing virtual world games online. Further, the content of these games is very often educational, with kids learning letter recognition, counting, problem-solving skills, creativity and a host of other important scholastic skills while playing these games. Preschoolers playing in a virtual world learn a lot of important skills related to living in a community. These include the importance of keeping the environment neat and tidy, ownership and responsibility. Owning a virtual pet in these games is a great way to introduce preschoolers to the challenges as well as pleasures of owning a pet in real life. Kids are also taught to be caring and helpful, earning in-game points for helping out virtual characters in the game. Finally, the sheer number of activities available in these virtual worlds ensures that your preschooler does not get stuck on a single kind of game, and that it holds their attention and interest for a lot longer than traditional games or toys would.

Are Virtual World Games Safe for Preschoolers?

Since preschoolers cannot read or write with fluency, they are immune to the dangers commonly associated with internet usage and playing online. Further, virtual world games for preschoolers often have a feature that allows parents to disable multiplayer settings, ensuring the young ones cannot interact with any of the other players. However, parents should make sure that the website does not have clickable ads appearing around the game screen, which may accidentally take the preschooler to new and unfamiliar websites. By and large, parents should worry more about whether the child is old enough to hold a mouse and use keyboard navigation comfortably without causing harm to themselves or the computer. Also, too much screen time is not good for kids of any age, and parents should ensure their kids balance the time they spend playing on these virtual world games for preschoolers.